Method and Apparatus for Generating and Playing Diagnostic Messages Indicative of Mta Provisioning Status

1. A media terminal adaptor for use in a communication network adapted to have a telephone connected thereto, said media terminal adaptor comprising: communication unit for connecting to a service provider provisioning server in a normal mode when the media terminal adaptor is in a provisioned state; an audio message file for storing at least one of a fixed or dynamically generated diagnostic audio message and variable information (VI) for generating the dynamic portion of the diagnostic audio message; provisioning failure detector for detecting when the media terminal adaptor has a non-provisioned status; and provisioning error message generator/player for generating and playing the diagnostic audio message through said telephone indicative of the detected non-provisioned status and providing corrective action to be taken by the user when an off-hook condition is detected when said telephone is taken off-hook.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said provisioning error message generator/player comprises: a speech decoder for converting digital audio data to analog samples; and plain-old-telephone-service (POTS) endpoint circuitry for reconstructing the analog samples and playing the reconstructed analog samples through said telephone when off-hook.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said provisioning error message generator/player generates audio messages and transfers said messages to the telephone.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , further comprising an off-hook detector for detecting when said telephone is taken off hook.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said POTS endpoint circuitry and said off-hook detector monitor a hook state of said telephone and generate the diagnostic message when an off-hook condition is detected when said telephone is taken off-hook.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said diagnostic message includes combined fixed voice audio with dynamically-generated voice audio.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said diagnostic message includes tones.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein when operating in said normal mode, if said telephone is taken off-hook, dial tone is sent to said telephone.

9. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a provisioning error resolver for determining a resolution to the detected non-provisioned status wherein said diagnostic message is a function of said resolution.

10. The apparatus according to claim 9 , further comprising an electronic diagnostic and status information module adapted to be accessed by said telephone.

11. A method of generating and playing diagnostic messages by a media terminal adaptor having a telephone connected thereto, the method comprising the steps of: storing at least one of a fixed or dynamically generated diagnostic audio message and variable information (VI) for generating the dynamic portion of the diagnostic audio message; detecting a non-provisioned status of said media terminal adaptor; and generating and playing the diagnostic audio message through said telephone indicative of the detected non-provisioned status and providing corrective action to be taken by the user when an off-hook condition is detected when said telephone is taken off-hook.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of generating and playing includes the steps of: converting digital audio data to analog samples by a speed decoder; reconstructing by plain-old-telephone-service (POTS) endpoint circuitry the analog samples; and playing the reconstructed analog samples through said telephone by the POTS endpoint circuitry, when said telephone is taken off-hook.

13. The method according to claim 12 , wherein the step of generating and playing includes the steps of: generating audio messages by encapsulating audio in an real time protocol packet stream to emulate reception of data from a communications network, said packet stream comprises an ordered sequence of near-synchronous packets; depacketizing said packet stream; and sending the depacketized packet steam to the speech decoder.

14. The method according to claim 12 , further comprising the step of detecting when said telephone is taken off hook.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said diagnostic message includes combined fixed voice text with dynamically-generated voice text.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said diagnostic message includes tones.

17. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the step of detecting said non-provisioned status includes the step of detecting an out-of-service status of said media terminal adaptor.

18. The method according to claim 11 , further comprising the steps of: determining a resolution to the detected non-provisioned status wherein said diagnostic message is a function of said resolution.

19. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising the step of: accessing electronic diagnostic and status information by said telephone identified in said diagnostic message.

20. The method according to claim 18 , further comprising the steps of: determining said media terminal adaptor is provisioned; and sending a dial tone to said telephone when the telephone is taken off-hook.